Owners of breadmaking machines, please read and see if you can explain what went wrong for me today.

[DumbledoresGirl]

I have had my breadmaker since Christmas and have been making white loaves with no problems.

Today I thought I would try a wholemeal loaf (actually 50% wholemeal and 50% white as my children are not so keen on wholemeal bread). I followed the recipe as provided by the breadmaking book.

The bread has just finished and it hasn't risen properly - only about 2/3 of the way I would guess. The top crust looks a bit different to the sides too - paler and less even. I can't work out from the trouble shooting guide what I did wrong. The kneading blade also got stuck inside the bottom of the loaf which is also not right and in the troubleshooting guide it said this was caused by too little water. But I put in the amount of water stated in the recipe. Could too little water also stop the bread rising and make the top crust pale and uneven?

Please advise.

Is the breadmaker above a washing machine/tumble drier/dishwasher? I found our bread didn't rise when the vibrations from the washing machine interfered with the process.

I would guess the two tone colour is because you used two different coloured flours and did you follow the water amount for 100% wholemeal or just white bread?

Did you follow the recipe for wholemeal or the recipe for white bread?

our blade often gets stuck in the bottom of the bread, so that wouldn't worry me. sometimes wholemeal doesn't rise as much, but fron the rest of the description I don't know what else went wrong. water temp maybe? as is v cold today?

I have never had this problem DG - although I was speaking only this afternoon to another friend who got one for Christmas and was complaining that hers was unevenly browned...

Assuming you followed the instructions correctly and had the machine on the correct setting (mine has a different setting for white or wholkemeal etc) then I really dont know. I have rarely had problems with mine. I'll check my booklet (now arrived from Kenwood) and see what it says. hoping someone with some ideas comes along

{{{{{{}}}}}} for DG because she helped me last night

I do get lighter results with 50/50 wholemeal/white loaves when I add a dash more water than the manual says. I think if the recipe says 420 I put in a bit more than 440.

What machine do you have DG?

Also, it could be you've got a duff batch of flour or yeast.

Which programme did you cook it on? My prog for white bread takes 3h 30 and wholemeal takes 4h 15. A 50/50 loaf I have to cook on the wholemeal longer prog or it doesn't rise the same

Try ignoring the recipes given in the booklet for wholemeal bread and use the same recipe that you use for white bread, still using half and half flours. This works better for me. I find the recipe for rapid white bread, mixed with half and half flours,the very best.

I think a lot of bread making with machines is trial and error - until you find the recipe and setting that works for you. Mine had been away for AGES until recenetly but now it is out again and I am back to baking the same old recipes as before and so far, so good

I would have guessed too little water. I find a 1/3 wholemeal to 2/3 white mixture better than 50/50. Also wholemeal does rise less which would I assume affect the browning on the top of the loaf.

We never worry too much as long as it is edible; toast the really dodgy stuff and lashings of butter still much better than shop bought.

Oooh so many answers! How nice!

Right, to go through in order:

The breadmaker is not above another machine.

I followed a specific recipe provided by the manufacturer of the machine for half and half wholemeal and white bread and therefore used the amount of water for a 50/50 loaf.

The recipe also tells you what to set the machine to so I know I didn't set the wrong time/type of baking etc.

The machine is a Panasonic SD255.

The yeast must be ok because it is the same as the yeast I used successfully yesterday but the flour might be at fault as I opened the wholemeal flour packet today.

I would have preferred to do 25% wholemeal or 33% if pushed but I did not have a recipe for that and, being new to breadmaking, I wanted to follow a recipe. I am a little cheered by your post gomez, suggesting less wholemeal flour works better.

The water already had more water in it that a straight white loaf, but I could try adding even more.

Have I replied to all suggestions/questions? Phew!

Doh! That should say "the recipe already had more water in it...."

you didnt reply to my trial and error comment!

Haven't got time for trial and error. If i had, I would be baking by hand!